Writers’ Guidelines

Thanks for your interest in writing for enRoute. We look forward to receiving your queries, but before you send them please read this information carefully; it answers many frequently asked questions and will help you understand our magazine.

Background

In 2001, enRoute relaunched as a lifestyle magazine. In May 2005, we underwent another transformation to become a publication that celebrates the travel lifestyle of our readers.enRoute stories are infused with the idea of mobility, with travel-related stories occurring throughout the magazine. We speak to an international readership that is on the go, cultured and educated.

Who are we? enRoute, Air Canada’s inflight magazine, is a Canadian travel lifestyle magazine with an international reach. Each month, we explore what’s going on in the world through the people, places and ideas that move us. We aim to highlight that space where Canada and the world intersect through smart writing and superior photography and illustration. With this mandate in mind, enRoute showcases the best of our country – and the world – for its highly educated readership.

What are we about? We are a source of relevant, entertaining and thought-provoking information for an on-the-go, global reader. We are interested in everything from wine to design and popular science to pop music. The magazine celebrates the excitement of travel and, as many travellers’ first introduction to Canada, is proudly Canadian but never parochial about Canadian content. enRoute makes our readers feel more tuned in to the world than they did before picking it up. It’s like a trusted friend who always gives you the inside scoop.

Who are our readers? enRoute readers are highly mobile people who live, work and play on a global scale. The magazine is read by over 1 million travellers a month and can be found in the seat pockets of Air Canada aircraft and in Maple Leaf™ Lounges and select Star Alliance™ lounges around the world. It is also distributed at more than 100 upscale outlets across Canada (hotels, boutiques, health clubs, restaurants and lounges). Air Canada passengers (60% male/40% female) are affluent business travellers from major Canadian cities and highly educated frequent flyers with disposable incomes far above the national average.

What makes an enRoute story? We engage our audience through intelligence, insight, humour, and spot-on service. Our stories exemplify narrative journalism at its best, exploring the world through first-hand, experiential pieces that highlight broader trends afoot. We look for articles with unique, unexpected angles and subjects that will remain fresh during our four-to-six month lead time. We commission stories that relate to our key lifestyle areas: travel, food, wine, spirits, wellness, beauty, design, architecture, style, technology, sports, social trends and the arts (including books, music and visual art). Our readers are immersed in the global media world, from blogs to Vanity Fair, so we watch for forward-looking stories that share something about the world not found anywhere else.

How do you pitch to us?

• Before you pitch, read some back issues (www.enroute.aircanada.com/en/magazine) so you can tell us which section or department you’re targeting.
• We do not accept queries from PR writers or related professions, only from journalists with no vested interests in the stories they query.
• E-mail editorial queries (info@enroutemag.net) with the word “query” in the subject line.
• Outline your story idea and your approach, writing your query in the same tone that you’re proposing for your piece.
• We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
• We do not accept verbal/phone queries (for your own intellectual property protection).
• Our policy is to reply in writing in 30 days or less, but due to the number of queries we receive, that’s not always possible. If you have not heard back from us in a month, please accept our sincere thanks and feel free to query other publications.
• Our base rate is Cdn$1/word; payment is upon acceptance, within 30 days of invoice.

Editorial formats and departments

All enRoute stories strive to tell our readers why they should be interested in a particular subject or trend – and why now.

Passport Our front-of-book section is a roundup of short pieces on global travel lifestyle trends. Subject areas include food, wine and drinks; design and architecture; fashion and style; wellness and grooming; books and music; and other themes that tie into the travel lifestyle.

Weekend An insider’s guide to a getaway destination within 2 hours’ drive time of a major Canadian urban centre, highlighting the best local activities, restaurants, accommodations and more. 500 words.

Higher Learning An international crash course in anything from cheese making to scuba diving to ranching, told from a personal perspective but in such a way that it teaches the reader about both the activity and the place it’s taught. 450 words.

Short profiles People on the cusp of ascending to cultural currency who represent a broader trend. Recent examples include our pieces on craft distillers (including the man who brought back absinthe) and innovative hoteliers. 800-1200 words

Feature profiles Unique portraits of Canadians – from iconic to emerging – who help shape our world.  Recent examples include Christopher Plummer and curator Scott Burnham. 1200-1500 words
 
Travel service Trusted, indispensable guides that can enhance our readers’ lifestyle, covering a key lifestyle area (such as hotels) or an emerging travel trend. These features are often highly packaged. Recent examples include Canada’s Best New Restaurants or Stay Well, our roundup of fitness and wellness offerings at Canadian hotels. 1250-2000 words

Trends in travel A thoughtful look at new trends in the world of travel. Examples include training hotels and engineering tourism. Longer pieces also look at trends in travel categories, like our golf or spa trends stories.  800-1200 words

Essays These think pieces express a writer’s particular slant on a topic, giving readers a fresh and highly personal point of view on a current lifestyle issue. Essays should give the reader a greater understanding of the world and the forces at work. Recent examples include Timothy Taylor’s Cranky Connoisseur series and Charles Montgomery’s piece on Happy Cities.  1250 words

Short travel features A personal essay about a unique experience in a specific place in the world. These pieces are a micro look at the culture of a place, but not from a tourist or outsider perspective. Please note that these stories should be pitched based on first-hand experiences you have recently had. 800 words

Long travel features A broader-based look at a city or region, with an original lifestyle angle beyond typical local colour; we are not a travel guide or brochure. These pieces strive for a sense of place and the ring of authenticity and should be focused around a theme, not merely presented as a straight chronological journey or travelogue. 1750 words

We want you
enRoute is one of the country’s leading and most established (50 years and counting) magazines. Our high editorial standards reflect this, and so does our willingness to go to new places. Come and join us… Better yet, help take us there.

enRoute
4200 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Suite 707
Montréal, Québec
H2W 2R2
info@enroutemag.net